HEKATE – Higher Education and Entreprises. Knowledge Alliances for the Training of Entrepreneurs

HEKATE – Higher Education and Enterprises: Knowledge Alliances for the Training of Entrepreneurs

HEKATE  is a project within the European framework of the University–Business Cooperation initiative. The main aim of the initiative is to form the so called “Knowledge Alliances” to encourage structured, result-driven cooperation ventures between universities and companies, bridging the gap between the sectors.

HEKATE aims at supporting the spread of knowledge alliances to foster entrepreneurship by encouraging senior R&D managers in research intensive industries to become more pro-actively engaged with universities. Experienced R&D directors span both the world of research and business: individually and corporately they can be inspirational for students and researchers to engage in business creation. HEKATE seeks to explore how this can be developed.

At the core of the HEKATE partnership is the European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA). EIRMA provides access not only to highly competent innovation managers, but also an effective route to promote the Knowledge Alliance agenda across all of Europe, independent of any sector. A small partnership of two HEIs currently engaged in researching entrepreneurship, one mature knowledge transfer organisation attached to HEIs with decades experience of supporting business start-ups, together with an industrial partner Solvay will complete this particular Knowledge Alliance, but with the aim to engage widely.

Interaction will be initiated by a novel training workshop. An online internet discourse, currently being piloted by TuTech, will be used to engage with students. Reflections and exchange of experience between HEIs, industrialists and policy makers will be supported through a Round Table and a conference, and a key outcome will be an operational plan for EIRMA to take things forward.